Misplaced Pages

#433566

84-459: Baseball Hall of Fame member Rube Foster played for the 1901 Hot Springs Arlingtons. The Hot Springs Arlingtons began play in 1896 as a professional Negro team. The Arlingtons played at Whittington Park and drew white and black fans to their games. Their main competition was the Little Rock Quapaws. The Hot Springs Arlingtons were so named due to being sponsored by Alfred Holden, who was

168-678: A competent combat general with experience in many important Civil War battles, he is more widely known as the supposed inventor of the game of baseball, in Elihu Phinney 's cow pasture in Cooperstown, New York , in 1839. The Mills Commission , chaired by Abraham G. Mills , the fourth president of the National League , was appointed in 1905 to determine the origin of baseball. The committee's final report, on December 30, 1907, stated, in part, that "the first scheme for playing baseball, according to

252-470: A few cases, like umpires, they wear caps without logos. (Executives are not depicted wearing caps.) Additionally, as of 2015, inductee biographies on the Hall's website for all players and managers, and executives who were associated with specific teams, list a "primary team", which does not necessarily match the cap logo. The Hall selects the logo "based on where that player makes his most indelible mark." Although

336-583: A hill there during the Civil War, claims he invented the game in 1835. Mendham Borough and Mendham Township, New Jersey has held a municipal holiday known as "Abner Doubleday Day" for numerous years in the General's honor and commissioned a plaque near the site of his home in the borough in 1998, even though the borough was known as Mendham Township back then. In 2004, the Abner Doubleday Society erected

420-602: A local lawyer. Doubleday initially served in coastal garrisons and then in the Mexican–American War from 1846 to 1848 and the Seminole Wars from 1856 to 1858. In 1858, he was transferred to Fort Moultrie in Charleston Harbor serving under Colonel John L. Gardner . By the start of the Civil War, he was a captain and second in command in the garrison at Fort Sumter , under Major Robert Anderson . He aimed

504-415: A manager and sportswriter) had first approached the idea of making a memorial to the great players of the past in what was believed to have been the birthplace of baseball: Cooperstown, New York , but the idea did not muster much momentum until after his death in 1925. In 1934, the idea for establishing a Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was devised by several individuals, such as Ford C. Frick (president of

588-559: A monument to Doubleday in Iron Spring Park, Ballston Spa, near his birthplace. In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Abner Doubleday was named in his honor. In the movie The Ridiculous 6 , Doubleday is portrayed by John Turturro . The character organizes the first game of baseball between the six main characters and a group of Chinese immigrants, creating the rules as he goes, primarily to allow him to win. In

672-467: A more junior officer from another corps. The ostensible reason was a false report by XI Corps commander Major General Oliver O. Howard that Doubleday's corps broke first, causing the entire Union line to collapse, but Meade also had a long history of disdain for Doubleday's combat effectiveness, dating back to South Mountain. Doubleday was humiliated by this snub and held a lasting grudge against Meade, but he returned to division command and fought well for

756-509: A patent for the cable car railway that still runs there, receiving a charter for its operation, but signing away his rights when he was reassigned. In 1871, he commanded the 24th U.S. Infantry , an all African-American regiment with headquarters at Fort McKavett , Texas . He retired in 1873. In the 1870s, he was listed in the New York business directory as a lawyer. Doubleday spent much of his time writing. He published two important works on

840-418: A standstill. Personal initiative was required since his division commander, Brig. Gen. Rufus King , was incapacitated by an epileptic seizure at the time. He was replaced by Brigadier General John P. Hatch . His men were routed when they encountered Major General James Longstreet 's corps, but by the following day, August 30, he took command of the division when Hatch was wounded, and he led his men to cover

924-443: Is 810 Whittington Avenue, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. The namesake Arlington Hotel is still in use today and is located at 239 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Source: Arkansas Baseball History Arkansas Baseball History Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York , operated by private interests. It serves as

SECTION 10

#1733084771434

1008-534: Is listed as the Angels despite playing one fewer season for that team than for the Astros. In 2001, the Hall of Fame decided to change the policy on cap logo selection, as a result of rumors that some teams were offering compensation, such as number retirement, money, or organizational jobs, in exchange for the cap designation. (For example, though Wade Boggs denied the claims, some media reports had said that his contract with

1092-567: Is the current chairman of the board of directors.) The erroneous claim that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown was instrumental in the early marketing of the Hall. An expanded library and research facility opened in 1994. Dale Petroskey became the organization's president in 1999. In 2002, the Hall launched Baseball as America , a traveling exhibit that toured ten American museums over six years. The Hall of Fame has since also sponsored educational programming on

1176-403: The 2009 election process ; the main committee did not select a player, while the panel for pre–World War II players elected Joe Gordon in its first and ultimately only vote. The main committee voted as part of the election process for inductions in odd-numbered years, while the pre-World War II panel would vote every five years, and the panel for umpires, managers, and executives voted as part of

1260-651: The American Revolutionary War . His maternal grandfather Thomas Donnelly had joined the army at 14 and was a mounted messenger for George Washington . His great-grandfather Peter Donnelly was a Minuteman. His father, Ulysses F., fought in the War of 1812 , published newspapers and books, and represented Auburn, New York , for four years in the United States Congress . Abner spent his childhood in Auburn and later

1344-703: The Army Black Knights play at Johnson Stadium , is named in Doubleday's honor. The Abner Doubleday Little League and Babe Ruth Fields in Ballston Spa, New York, the town of his birth. The house of his birth still stands in the middle of town and there is a monument to him on Front Street. A sign at the Doubleday Hill Monument , erected in Williamsport, Maryland , to commemorate Doubleday's occupation of

1428-550: The Baseball Hall of Fame . It hosted the annual Hall of Fame Game, an exhibition game between two major league teams that was played from 1940 until 2008. It has hosted the Hall of Fame Classic since 2009. The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Doubleday's hometown of Auburn, New York . Doubleday Field at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where

1512-646: The Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager in the 1980s. (Baseball's Rule 21, prominently posted in every clubhouse locker room, mandates permanent banishment from MLB for having a gambling interest of any sort on a game in which a player or manager is directly involved.) Rose later admitted that he bet on the Reds in his 2004 autobiography . Baseball fans are deeply split on the issue of whether these two should remain banned or have their punishment revoked. Writer Bill James , though he advocates Rose eventually making it into

1596-687: The Little Rock Senators and the Hot Springs Bathers teams, both members of the Arkansas State League . The Arlingtons continued play through 1903. The last documented games played by the Arlingtons were in May, 1903. In June, 1903 a streetcar boycott occurred when legislation requiring black Arkansans to sit in the back of public streetcars was implemented. As Whittington Park was located at

1680-567: The National League ) and Alexander Cleland, a Scottish immigrant who decided to serve as the first executive secretary for the Museum for the next seven years that worked with the interests of the Village and Major League Baseball . Stephen Carlton Clark (a Cooperstown native) paid for the construction of the museum, which was planned to open in 1939 to mark the "Centennial of Baseball", which included renovations to Doubleday Field. William Beattie served as

1764-570: The Negro leagues have also been considered at various times, beginning in 1971. In 2005, the Hall completed a study on African American players between the late 19th century and the integration of the major leagues in 1947, and conducted a special election for such players in February 2006; seventeen figures from the Negro leagues were chosen in that election, in addition to the eighteen previously selected. Following

SECTION 20

#1733084771434

1848-641: The Peninsula Campaign . His first combat assignment was to lead the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps of the Army of Virginia during the Northern Virginia Campaign . In the actions at Brawner's farm, just before the Second Battle of Bull Run , he took the initiative to send two of his regiments to reinforce Brigadier General John Gibbon 's brigade against a larger Confederate force, fighting it to

1932-593: The Pittsburgh Pirates , Cleveland Spiders , Brooklyn Superbas , Detroit Tigers , New York Highlanders and Chicago Colts . Today, as part of the "Hot Springs Baseball Trail" there are historical markers at the site of Whittington Park, as well as the Arlington Hotel. The Whittington Park home plate location is marked, with the current location being in the parking lot of the Weyerhaeuser offices. The address

2016-471: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays required him to request depiction in the Hall of Fame as a Devil Ray.) The Hall decided that it would no longer defer to the inductee, though the player's wishes would be considered, when deciding on the logo to appear on the plaque. Newly elected members affected by the change include the following: Sam Crane (who had played a decade in 19th century baseball before becoming

2100-648: The United States House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Hanna , a Republican from New York, and passed the House on October 26, 2011. The coins, which depict baseball gloves and balls, are the first concave designs produced by the Mint. The mintage included 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver coins, and 750,000 clad (nickel-copper) coins. The Mint released them on March 27, 2014, and the gold and silver editions quickly sold out. The Hall receives money from surcharges included in

2184-532: The Veterans Committee , which now consists of four subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more who also have been actively covering MLB at any time in

2268-449: The 10 years preceding the election (the latter requirement was added for the 2016 election). From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances,

2352-406: The 2010 changes, Negro leagues figures were primarily considered for induction alongside other figures from the 1871–1946 era, called the "Pre-Integration Era" by the Hall; since 2016, Negro leagues figures are primarily considered alongside other figures from what the Hall calls the "Early Baseball" era (1871–1949). Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over

2436-458: The 23rd episode of the anime Samurai Champloo , titled "Baseball Blues", Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright are featured as American naval officers who engage the main characters and local Japanese people into a baseball game, which the Americans lose. In the mini-series North and South , George Hazzard is seen watching a primitive form of baseball with a wounded Orry Main, while referring to

2520-613: The Civil War: Reminiscences of Forts Sumter and Moultrie (1876), and Chancellorsville and Gettysburg (1882), the latter being a volume of the series Campaigns of the Civil War . In the summer of 1878, Doubleday lived in Mendham Township, New Jersey , and became a prominent member of the Theosophical Society . When two of the founders of that society, Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott , moved to India at

2604-530: The Commissioner's Office made reparations, but the negative publicity damaged the Hall of Fame's reputation, and made it more difficult for it to solicit donations. In 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed a law ordering the United States Mint to produce and sell commemorative, non-circulating coins to benefit the private, non-profit Hall. The bill, H.R. 2527 , was introduced in

Hot Springs Arlingtons - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-643: The Federal Army." However, there is considerable evidence to dispute this claim. Baseball historian George B. Kirsch has described the results of the Mills Commission as a "myth". He wrote, "Robert Henderson, Harold Seymour, and other scholars have since debunked the Doubleday-Cooperstown myth, which nonetheless remains powerful in the American imagination because of the efforts of Major League Baseball and

2772-413: The Hall always made the final decision on which logo was shown, until 2001 the Hall deferred to the wishes of players or managers whose careers were linked with multiple teams. Some examples of inductees associated with multiple teams are the following: In all of the above cases, the "primary team" is the team for which the inductee spent the largest portion of his career except for Ryan, whose primary team

2856-550: The Hall had been sold on the collectibles market. The items had been lent to the Baseball Commissioner 's office, gotten mixed up with other property owned by the Commissioner's office and employees of the office, and moved to the garage of Joe Reichler , an assistant to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn , who sold the items to resolve his personal financial difficulties. Under pressure from the New York Attorney General,

2940-532: The Hall of Fame have been inducted posthumously, including four who died after their selection was announced. Of the 39 members primarily recognized for their contributions to Negro league baseball , 31 were inducted posthumously, including all 26 selected since the 1990s. The Hall of Fame includes one female member, Effa Manley . The newest members of the Hall of Fame, inducted on July 21, 2024 , are Adrián Beltré , Todd Helton , Jim Leyland , and Joe Mauer . In 2019, former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera became

3024-558: The Hall of Fame in Cooperstown." At his death, Doubleday left many letters and papers, none of which describe baseball or give any suggestion that he considered himself a prominent person in the evolution of the game, and his New York Times obituary did not mention the game at all. Chairman Mills himself, who had been a Civil War colleague of Doubleday and a member of the honor guard for Doubleday's body as it lay in state in New York City, never recalled hearing Doubleday describe his role as

3108-479: The Hall of Fame, compared the people who want to put Jackson in the Hall of Fame to "those women who show up at murder trials wanting to marry the cute murderer ". The actions and composition of the Veterans Committee have been at times controversial, with occasional selections of contemporaries and teammates of the committee members over seemingly more worthy candidates. In 2001, the Veterans Committee

3192-562: The Hall, and voted on a reduced number of candidates from among players whose careers began in 1943 or later. Separate committees, including sportswriters and broadcasters, would select umpires, managers and executives, as well as players from earlier eras. In the first election to be held under the 2007 revisions, two managers and three executives were elected in December 2007 as part of the 2008 election process . The next Veterans Committee elections for players were held in December 2008 as part of

3276-437: The Hall. The first five men elected were Ty Cobb , Babe Ruth , Honus Wagner , Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson , chosen in 1936; roughly 20 more were selected before the entire group was inducted at the Hall's 1939 opening. As of January 2024 , 346 people had been elected to the Hall of Fame, including 274 former professional players, 23 managers, 10 umpires, and 39 pioneers, executives, and organizers. 118 members of

3360-589: The Internet to bring the Hall of Fame to schoolchildren who might not visit. The Hall and Museum completed a series of renovations in spring 2005. The Hall of Fame also presents an annual exhibit at FanFest at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . Among baseball fans, "Hall of Fame" means not only the museum and facility in Cooperstown, New York, but the pantheon of players, managers , umpires , executives, and pioneers who have been inducted into

3444-456: The Veterans Committee. Following changes to the election process for that body made in 2010 and 2016, the Veterans Committee is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot — both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). From 2011 to 2016, each candidate could be considered once every three years; now,

Hot Springs Arlingtons - Misplaced Pages Continue

3528-793: The attack by Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early in the Valley Campaigns of 1864 . Also while in Washington, Doubleday testified against George Meade at the United States Congress Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War , criticizing him harshly over his conduct of the Battle of Gettysburg. While in Washington, Doubleday remained a loyal Republican and staunch supporter of President Abraham Lincoln . Doubleday rode with Lincoln on

3612-416: The ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente set the precedent: the writers put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972, and he was inducted in 1973. The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there

3696-638: The baseball infield. Doubleday was promoted to major on May 14, 1861, and commanded the Artillery Department in the Shenandoah Valley from June to August, and then the artillery for Major General Nathaniel Banks 's division of the Army of the Potomac . He was appointed brigadier general of volunteers on February 3, 1862, and was assigned to duty in northern Virginia while the Army of the Potomac conducted

3780-431: The best evidence obtainable to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, New York, in 1839." It concluded by saying, "in the years to come, in the view of the hundreds of thousands of people who are devoted to baseball, and the millions who will be, Abner Doubleday's fame will rest evenly, if not quite as much, upon the fact that he was its inventor ... as upon his brilliant and distinguished career as an officer in

3864-520: The cannon that fired the first return shot in answer to the Confederate bombardment on April 12, 1861. He subsequently referred to himself as the "hero of Sumter" for this role. Of note, although Doubleday did not invent baseball, by sheer coincidence the Fort Sumter Garrison Flag (or Storm Flag) has the star pattern arranged in a diamond shape, which by that time in history, was the shape of

3948-483: The central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-related artifacts and exhibits, honoring those who have excelled in playing , managing , and serving the sport. The Hall's motto is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations". Cooperstown is often used as shorthand (or a metonym ) for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall of Fame

4032-462: The division was kept in reserve. At the start of the Battle of Gettysburg , July 1, 1863, Doubleday's division was the second infantry division on the field to reinforce the cavalry division of Brigadier General John Buford . When his corps commander, Major General John F. Reynolds , was killed very early in the fighting, Doubleday found himself in command of the corps at 10:50 am. His men fought well in

4116-496: The election process for inductions in even-numbered years. Further changes to the Veterans Committee process were announced by the Hall in July 2010, July 2016, and April 2022. Per the latest changes, announced on April 22, 2022, the multiple eras previously utilized were collapsed to three, to be voted on in an annual rotation (one per year): A one-year waiting period beyond potential BBWAA eligibility (which had been abolished in 2016)

4200-552: The end of Hot Springs' streetcar line and Whittington Park was owned and operated by the Hot Springs streetcar company, the Arlingtons ceased play. In 1904, the team became known as the Hot Springs Blues . The Blues played ten documented games in 1904. The Hot Springs Arlingtons were noted to have played home games at Whittington Park . Whittington Park hosted numerous major league baseball teams for spring training, including

4284-614: The end of that year, he was constituted as the president of the American body. Doubleday died of heart disease in Mendham Township on January 26, 1893. Doubleday's body was laid in state in New York's City Hall and then was taken to Washington by train from Mendham, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia . He was survived by his wife. Although Doubleday achieved minor fame as

SECTION 50

#1733084771434

4368-539: The ferocity of the Union defense. On Cemetery Hill, however, the I Corps could muster only a third of its men as effective for duty, and the corps was essentially destroyed as a combat force for the rest of the battle; it would be decommissioned in March 1864, its surviving units consolidated into other corps. On July 2, 1863, Army of the Potomac commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade replaced Doubleday with Major General John Newton ,

4452-403: The first curator of the museum. According to the Hall of Fame, approximately 260,000 visitors enter the museum each year, and the running total has surpassed 17 million. These visitors see only a fraction of its 40,000 artifacts, 3 million library items (such as newspaper clippings and photos) and 140,000 baseball cards. The Hall has seen a noticeable decrease in attendance since

4536-611: The first player to be elected unanimously. Derek Jeter , Marvin Miller , Ted Simmons , and Larry Walker were to be inducted in 2020, but their induction ceremony was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until September 8, 2021. The ceremony was open to the public, as COVID restrictions had been lifted. Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers' Association of America (or BBWAA), or

4620-450: The frequency depends on the era in which an individual made his greatest contributions. A more complete discussion of the new process is available below . From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures: Players of

4704-512: The game of baseball , although Doubleday never made such a claim. This claim has been thoroughly debunked by baseball historians. Doubleday, the son of Ulysses F. Doubleday and Hester Donnelly, was born in Ballston Spa, New York , in a small house on the corner of Washington and Fenwick streets. As a child, Abner was very short. The family all slept in the attic loft of the one-room house. His paternal grandfather, also named Abner, had fought in

4788-531: The game. Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig (other than to hold a special one-man election for him): there was no waiting period at that time, and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season. However, the BBWAA decided to hold a special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it

4872-433: The ground in a violent fall. He received a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel in the regular army for his actions at Antietam and was promoted in March 1863 to major general of volunteers, to rank from November 29, 1862. At Fredericksburg in December 1862, his division mostly sat idle. During the winter, the I Corps was reorganized and Doubleday assumed command of the 3rd Division. At Chancellorsville in May 1863,

4956-594: The headwaiter of the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs. In 1897, the Hot Springs Arlingtons began play in a formation of a southern Negro league, which featured Hot Springs, the Little Rock Quapaws, Memphis Cliffords, Pensacola Acmes, Birmingham Unions and a Montgomery, Alabama team as league members. The Little Rock Quapaws were reported to have traveled to games in Hot Springs in a wagon. The 1897 Hot Springs Arlingtons played integrated exhibition games against

5040-439: The hope of heightening the value of their own selection. After no one was selected for the third consecutive election in 2007, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt noted, "The same thing happens every year. The current members want to preserve the prestige as much as possible, and are unwilling to open the doors." In 2007, the committee and its selection processes were again reorganized; the main committee then included all living members of

5124-411: The inventor. Doubleday was a cadet at West Point in the year of the alleged invention and his family had moved away from Cooperstown the prior year. Furthermore, the primary testimony to the commission that connected baseball to Doubleday was that of Abner Graves, whose credibility is questionable; a few years later, he shot his wife to death and was committed to an institution for the criminally insane for

SECTION 60

#1733084771434

5208-446: The level of Jackson or Rose. Jackson and Rose were both banned from MLB for life for actions related to gambling on their own teams—Jackson was determined to have cooperated with those who conspired to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series , and for accepting payment for losing, and Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent spot on the ineligible list in return for MLB's promise to make no official finding in relation to alleged betting on

5292-700: The merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James ' 1994 book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame. The selection rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame were modified to prevent the induction of anyone on Baseball's "permanently ineligible" list, such as Pete Rose or "Shoeless Joe" Jackson . Many others have been barred from participation in MLB, but none have Hall of Fame qualifications on

5376-476: The mid-2010s. A 2013 story on ESPN.com about the village of Cooperstown and its relation to the game partially linked the reduced attendance with Cooperstown Dreams Park, a youth baseball complex about 5 miles (8.0 km) away in the town of Hartwick . The 22 fields at Dreams Park currently draw 17,000 players each summer for a week of intensive play; while the complex includes housing for the players, their parents and grandparents must stay elsewhere. According to

5460-405: The modern rules of baseball were formulated in New York during the 1840s, it was the scattering of New Yorkers exposed to these rules throughout the country, that spread not only baseball, but also the "New York Rules", thereby harmonizing the rules, and being a catalyst for its growth. Doubleday was a high-ranking officer, whose duties included seeing to provisions for the US Army fighting throughout

5544-484: The morning, putting up a stout resistance, but as overwhelming Confederate forces massed against them, their line eventually broke and they retreated back through the town of Gettysburg to the relative safety of Cemetery Hill south of town. It was Doubleday's finest performance during the war, five hours leading 9,500 men against ten Confederate brigades that numbered more than 16,000. Seven of those brigades sustained casualties that ranged from 35 to 50 percent, indicating

5628-404: The nickname into an insult, incorrectly claiming "Forty-Eight Hours" was coined to highlight Doubleday's supposed incompetence and slowness to act. Doubleday assumed administrative duties in the defenses of Washington, D.C., where he was in charge of courts martial, which gave him legal experience that he used after the war. His only return to combat was directing a portion of the defenses against

5712-576: The remainder of the battle. He was wounded in the neck on the second day of Gettysburg and received a brevet promotion to colonel in the regular army for his service. He formally requested reinstatement as I Corps commander, but Meade refused, and Doubleday left Gettysburg on July 7 for Washington. Doubleday's staff nicknamed him "Forty-Eight Hours" as a compliment to recognize his tendency to avoid reckless or impulsive actions and his thoughtfulness and deliberateness in considering circumstances and possible responses. In recent years, biographers have turned

5796-425: The rest of his life. Part of the confusion could stem from there being another man by the same name in Cooperstown in 1839. Despite the lack of solid evidence linking Doubleday to the origins of baseball, Cooperstown, New York, became the new home of what is today the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1937. There may have been some relationship to baseball as a national sport and Abner Doubleday. While

5880-459: The retreat of the Union Army. Doubleday again led the division, now assigned to the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac, after South Mountain , where Hatch was wounded again. At Antietam , he led his men into the deadly fighting in the Cornfield and the West Woods, and one colonel described him as a "gallant officer ... remarkably cool and at the very front of battle." He was wounded when an artillery shell exploded near his horse, throwing him to

5964-431: The sale price: a total of $ 9.5 million if all the coins are sold. Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War . He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter , the opening battle of the war, and had a pivotal role in the early fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg . Gettysburg

6048-435: The screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in the mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee. Players receiving 5% or more of

6132-435: The south and border states. For the morale of the men, he is said to have provisioned balls and bats for the men. Doubleday's men, admirers, and the state of New York erected a monument to him at Gettysburg. There is a 7-foot (2.1 m) obelisk monument at Arlington National Cemetery where he is buried. Doubleday Field is a 9,791-seat baseball stadium named for Abner Doubleday, located in Cooperstown, New York , near

6216-534: The story, Prior to Dreams Park, a room might be filled for a week by several sets of tourists. Now, that room will be taken by just one family for the week, and that family may only go into Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame once. While there are other contributing factors (the recession and high gas prices among them), the Hall's attendance has tumbled since Dreams Park opened. The Hall drew 383,000 visitors in 1999. It drew 262,000 last year. A controversy erupted in 1982, when it emerged that some historic items given to

6300-581: The train to Gettysburg for the Gettysburg Address and Col. and Mrs. Doubleday attended events with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln in Washington. After the Civil War, Doubleday mustered out of the volunteer service on August 24, 1865, reverted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and became the colonel of the 35th U.S. Infantry in September 1867. He was stationed in San Francisco from 1869 through 1871 and he took out

6384-503: The votes but fewer than 75% are reconsidered annually until a maximum of ten years of eligibility (lowered from fifteen years for the 2015 election). Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on

6468-526: Was established in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark , an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune. Clark sought to bring tourists to the village hurt by the Great Depression , which reduced the local tourist trade, and Prohibition , which devastated the local hops industry. Clark constructed the Hall of Fame's building, which was dedicated on June 12, 1939. (His granddaughter, Jane Forbes Clark ,

6552-536: Was his finest hour, but his relief by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade caused lasting enmity between the two men. In San Francisco, after the war, he obtained a patent on the cable car railway that still runs there. In his final years in New Jersey , he was a prominent member and later president of the Theosophical Society . In 1908, 15 years after his death, the Mills Commission declared that Doubleday had invented

6636-453: Was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although those who had already been eligible under the old rule were grandfathered into the ballot, thus permitting Joe DiMaggio to be elected within four years of his retirement. Z is for Zenith The summit of fame. These men are up there. These men are

6720-442: Was known that he was terminally ill , making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter the Hall while still alive. If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 10 years of his eligibility for election, he may be selected by

6804-422: Was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period

6888-486: Was reformed to comprise the living Hall of Fame members and other honorees. The revamped Committee held three elections, in 2003 and 2007 , for both players and non-players, and in 2005 for players only. No individual was elected in that time, sparking criticism among some observers who expressed doubt whether the new Veterans Committee would ever elect a player. The Committee members, most of whom were Hall members, were accused of being reluctant to elect new candidates in

6972-418: Was reintroduced, thus restricting the committee to considering players retired for at least 16 seasons. The eligibility criteria for Era Committee consideration differ between players, managers, and executives. While the text on a player's or manager's plaque lists all teams for which the inductee was a member in that specific role, inductees are usually depicted wearing the cap of a specific team, though in

7056-485: Was sent to Cooperstown to live with his uncle and attend a private preparatory high school. He practiced as a surveyor and civil engineer for two years before entering the United States Military Academy in 1838. He graduated in 1842, 24th in a class of 56 cadets, and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery. In 1852, he married Mary Hewitt of Baltimore , the daughter of

#433566